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Historical inaccuracies within Liberty's Kids
Liberty's Kids bears multiple inaccuracies in its depiction of the American Revolutionary War. The following lists contain the various inaccuracies sighted by fans. The Series as a Whole * While not exactly a historical inaccuracy, the series spans a total of (nearly) 16 years, starting with the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773, and concluding with the inauguration of George Washington as the first President of the United States on April 30, 1789. During this entire time, few characters seem to age. ** The only character(s) who do appear to age over the course of the series include Alexander Hamilton (physical appearance), George Washington (failing eyesight), Mrs. Radcliffe (physical appearance), and Benjamin Franklin (increasing gout). * Episode 12 ("Common Sense") takes place in January 1776 in Philadelphia. The final scene of the previous episode ("Washington Takes Command") takes place in March 1776 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with the aftermath of the Siege of Boston. ** To be fair, it's possible the kids could have traveled between the cities over the course of these two episodes. ** This is made even more complicated with the fact that episode 10 ("Postmaster General Franklin") takes place in July 1775, and primarily focuses on James and Sarah delivering mail from Philadelphia to New York. "Washington Takes Command" began on April 1775 and, as mentioned above, extends all the way to March 1776. * Episode 27 ("The New Frontier") and episode 28 ("Not Yet Begun to Fight") should be switched with regard to their chronology. The former episode takes place in October 1779, while the latter episode takes place in September 1779. ** Episode 27 and episode 31 ("Bostonians") should also be switched with regard to their chronology. The first scene depicting Sarah spending time at the Adams household takes place in August 1779. * Episode 36 ("Yorktown") and a good portion of episode 37 ("Born Free and Equal") should be switched with regard to their chronology. The former episode takes place in late September to mid-October of 1781, while the case of Elizabeth Freeman takes place in August 1781. ** The Elizabeth Freeman portion of "Born Free and Equal" should actually take place between episode 34 ("Deborah Samson: Soldier of the Revolution") and episode 35 ("James Armistead"). Episode 34 takes place on July 1781, while episode 35 takes place on September 1781. * While not a historical inaccuracy, Franklin's horse, Caesar, is solid brown in the beginning of the series, but suddenly changes to solid grey later on. Caesar once again changes to solid brown in the episodes "The Man Who Wouldn't Be King", "Going Home", and "We the People". ** It is not even known if Franklin owned a horse named Caesar in real life. Particular Episodes The Boston Tea Party * While rallying fellow Bostonians in a bar, Samuel Adams declares "It's time for us to band together as Sons of Liberty. It's time for us to become Patriots!". The vastly preferred nomenclature for the anti-government forces at the time was "Whigs". It wasn't until much later that they would begin to call themselves Patriots, and even then, it was still a minority who adopted the term. ** In addition, in actuality, Samuel Adams was not present when the Sons of Liberty was first established. Rather, it was a group of nine men led by Thomas Crafts (a painter) and George Trott (a jeweler) who had banded together to resist the Stamp Act, and called themselves the Loyal Nine. * The episode implies that the Dartmouth had just come into the harbor on December 16, when in actuality, it had been in the harbor for 18 days (November 28 - December 16). * The episode depicts the Boston Tea Party as being performed by a mob of crazed men tossing the tea overboard in wildly activity. In actuality, the destruction of the tea was conducted in an orderly manner. * Near the end of the Tea Party, Samuel Adams spots British soldiers coming and shouts "Redcoats! Abandon ship!". However, no British soldiers ever got involved because: they were too far away, the ships were private property and not government property, and they didn't want a repeat of the Boston Massacre. * Moses recites one of Phillis Wheatley's poems called "An Address to the Atheist". However, this particular poem was never published. * By the time of the Boston Tea Party, Phillis Wheatley was no longer a slave. She had received her manumission by October 18, 1773. ** With regard to her brief biography, Wheatley never knew Greek, and she actually began publishing individual poems in newspapers and magazines as early as 1767, and her first collection of poems was published in London in 1773. Liberty or Death * Much of the events of the episode take place on March 23, 1775. One of the last scenes of the episode, which seems to take place the following day, shows the proclamation by the Earl of Dunmore offering freedom to slaves who join the British army. This offer wasn't made until November 17th, however. Midnight Ride * While the only riders portrayed in this episode are Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott, in actuality, at least 30 riders working in relays were known to have taken part in the "Midnight Ride". The Shot Heard Round the World * The Battle of Lexington appears to take place in the post-dawn hours of April 15th. In actuality, the first shots were fired just as the sun was rising. * When Moses hands Benjamin Franklin a copy of the newspaper detailing the events of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the heading is that of the episode's title, "The Shot Heard Round the World", and the article written by both Sarah and James. The phrase actually comes from the opening stanza of Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Concord Hymn", written in 1837. The Second Continental Congress * At one point during the meeting of the Second Continental Congress, John Adams shouts "The peace died on the Greens of Lexington and Concord. It was murdered again at Bunker Hill." This episode takes place in May 1775 (with the final scene of the episode taking place on June 15th), while the Battle of Bunker Hill (which is featured in the following episode) took place on June 17, 1775. * When Henri returns with supposed information being discussed within the Second Continental Congress's sessions to Paul Wentworth and James, it turns out he took down the personnel's "lunch orders". The term "lunch" wasn't used until 1786, and instead, was referred to as "dinner" during much of the 18th century (whereas "supper" referred to today's term for "dinner"). Bunker Hill * Colonel William Prescott is seen (and known for) ordering his soldiers, "Do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes." It is debated whether Prescott or someone else coined this memorable saying. * Before the battle begins, Henri overhears two militiamen arguing over who is in charge when one of them states "I don't serve under Colonel Prescott. I'm with Captain Parker." The man was likely referring to Captain John Parker of the Lexington, Massachusetts Patriot militia, who was not present at the Battle of Bunker Hill due to severe illness from tuberculosis (which would eventually claim his life exactly three months after the battle). ** It is possible, however, that while Captain Parker himself could not participate in the battle, his followers Lexington did participate in his steed. Washington Takes Command * A time skip occurs in the episode to December 1775, in which General Washington appeals to his men whose enlistments are up to stay and fight with him. Washington's speech is interrupted with the arrival of Colonel Henry Knox, who requests assistance moving 56 cannons from Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York to Boston. Some of Washington's men decide to stay and assist Col. Knox in the event that would come to be known as the "noble train of artillery" (or the Knox Expedition), which actually began on November 17, 1775, and not December of that same year. ** In the following scene, James decides to attend the Knox Expedition, leaving Sarah and Henri in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Once he has left, Sarah asks Henri if he would like to join her to visit some of the new recruits from Maine. Maine was not one of the original 13 Colonies; rather, it was formerly known as York County, Massachusetts until Massachusetts adopted its state government in 1780, thus creating the District of Maine to manage its eastern territories. Maine eventually achieved statehood in 1820, upon which all of the counties of the District of Maine became the counties of Maine. Common Sense * Similar to the inaccuracy mentioned above in "The Second Continental Congress", after discussing the language and necessity of Common Sense with Sarah one night, Benjamin Franklin leaves the room by stating "Well, to dinner." The term "dinner" in the 18th century was equivalent to today's term for "lunch." "Supper" would have been the proper term to use in this instance. The First Fourth of July * When John Hancock signs the Declaration of Independence, he proclaims, "There! A signature big enough for King George to see it all the way from London." This story is apocryphal, and actually originated years later. New York, New York * At the beginning of the episode, Sarah is writing a letter to her mother, in which she describes that ever since the Declaration of Independence was read Washington in New York on July 7th, "it's been a city gone quite mad." As seen in the final scene of the previous episode ("The First Fourth of July"), Washington read the Declaration aloud on July 9th, 1776 (which is the actual date in which the event occurred). One Life to Lose * On the night of Nathan Hale's capture by the British, it appears as if his mission is a rendezvous with (seemingly) fellow Patriots near Flushing Bay in Queens, New York. There are two stories of Hale's capture (see bullets below), neither one of which is depicted in the series. ** One story was that Hale's Loyalist cousin, Samuel Hale, was the one who revealed his true identity. ** A second story is an account written by Consider Tiffany, a Connecticut shopkeeper and Loyalist: Major Robert Rogers of the Queen's Rangers saw Hale in a tavern and recognized him (despite the latter apparently wearing a disguise). Rogers managed to lure Hale into betraying himself by pretending to be a Patriot, and Rogers and his Rangers apprehended Hale near Flushing Bay. * On the morning of his execution, Hale requested a clergyman (which was denied), followed immediately by requesting a Bible (which was also denied). In real life, Hale first requested a Bible, and was denied and, sometime later, requested a clergyman, which was also denied. * Over the years, there has been speculation as to whether Hale specifically uttered the line: "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." The line may be a revision of "I am so satisfied with the cause in which I have engaged that my only regret is that I have not more lives than one to offer in its service." Captain Molly * When Moses confronts a crying Henri one night, the latter explains that "When you didn't come back, I tried to make dinner from the notes you left me, but I couldn't measure." Once again, "supper" would have been the proper term-of-use in the 18th century, not "dinner". Across the Delaware * During the Hessians' Christmas celebration in Trenton, soldiers are seen dancing to "Silent Night". The carol was written in 1818, over 40 years after the events surrounding the Battle of Trenton. ** The Hessian soldiers are also seen getting drunk on beer during the festivities. Patriot John Greenwood, who fought in the Battle of Trenton and supervised Hessians afterward wrote, "I am certain not a drop of liquor was drunk during the whole night, nor, as I could see, even a piece of bread eaten." * The note informing Colonel Rall of Washington's upcoming attack on Trenton was found in his coat pocket after his death, not before. An American in Paris * When Edward Jenner asks Abigail Adams about her and her children with regard to any infection of smallpox, Adams notes that "Charles is quite ill, but nothing like Sarah." This episode takes place in December 1776, but Adams and her four children were all inoculated in July 1776, meaning there should be no chance that Charles would be infected with smallpox again. Sybil Ludington * During her ride, Sybil can be seen riding her horse astride (i.e. one leg on each side). This is strictly against the norm of the 18th century. Allies at Last * The events of this episode take place in February 1778. However, in real life, the event surrounding Moses Michael Hays signing the declaration of loyalty in Newport, Rhode Island took place in 1775. Hays would end up moving to Boston from Newport ahead of British occupation of the latter in 1776. The New Frontier * The episode takes place in October 1779, depicting the execution of Cornstalk and his son Elinipsico. However, Elinipsico was killed on October 10, 1777, while Cornstalk was killed exactly one month later. ** Elinipsico is also depicted as a pre-teenager in the series, whereas in real life, he was 31 or 32 when he was killed. ** The episode takes place in October 1779, however, because the secondary plot involves the Fort Wilson Riot, which did take place during that time. * Cornstalk is seen coming to Fort Randolph alongside Elinipsico to warn Captain Matthew Arbuckle of the disaffection of their people. In actuality, Cornstalk arrived at Fort Randolph with fellow Shawnee Red Hawk. In addition, Elinipsico arrived some time later, searching for his father. All three Shawnee were eventually executed in retribution for the murder of two American hunters, one of whom was Matthew Gilmore. * In James's article regarding the events of the Fort Wilson Riot, he writes that James Wilson and 20 of his followers barricaded themselves inside of Wilson's home, and that five men were killed and 17 wounded. In actuality, Wilson and 35 of his followers sought refuge in the house, and six died and 17-19 were wounded. Deborah Samson: Soldier of the Revolution * The events of this episode take place on September 1781, and seem to span merely a few weeks. In real life, Deborah Sampson was honorably discharged at West Point, New York in 1783. James Armistead * At Lafayette's encampment, The Grand Union Flag (i.e. the flag with 13 alternating red and white stripes, and the canton being the flag of the Kingdom of Great Britain) is seen hoisted up on the flag pole. This flag was relinquished on June 14, 1777. Born Free and Equal * This episode takes place in August 1781. In one scene, King George III receives a letter of resignation by Lord North on account of the British defeat at Yorktown. In real life, Lord North did not resign as British Prime Minister until March 20, 1782. Category:Browse Category:Production